Race Walking Update

I’m proud to announce that I am almost back on track with my reading goal. My trip to visit Ma and Tom helped with that. While it looked like I could never catch up for a while, one of my goals has not been in question: walking.

So far this year I have walked 2,199,201 steps. Since my goal is 3,650,000, I’m way ahead of the curve! I’ve already walked more than the distance across India.

This is due in most part to race walking. Because of my love of it, I now aspire to 15,000 steps a day.

Back in April I was doing so well – two race walking workouts and a gym visit each week. My times were improving, and it felt great. Then I caught some respiratory thing that dragged on for a couple weeks, and by then I was simply out of the habit. I still was trying to get 15,000 a day, but speed and cardio went out the window. I gradually brought the gym workouts back, and that was rewarding.

Last Tuesday I did my first race walking workout in months. It was on my favorite 5k route that I have mapped out. I’d forgotten my cell phone, and thus I had no music for the walk. I only briefly considered ditching the workout. What turned the tide in the walk’s favor is I’d remembered my favorite race walking accessory.

I’m not at a point where a heart rate monitor would help my training, so the watch that takes split times and my spiffy shoes are the only equipment I need. I use my watch as a treat. I’m only allowed to see my time when I reach mile markers. That is my reward for making it that far. With my love for surprises and delayed gratification I have never cheated and peaked at my time early.

Even after being away from training for so long, my time was unbelievably good, especially since I didn’t have 1980’s cardio tunes inspiring me along. admittedly I was breathing A LOT harder than I would have a couple of months ago at the same pace. The feel of the movements restored my desire to return to training. It will be hard in the heat of summer, but I want it … and I can buy Gatorade as an additional reward.

How come it is so easy to drop out of a workout routine and so hard to create one? or Would you restrict yourself to checking your times only at milestones, or would you peek earlier?

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